My version of Chipotle style homemade chicken-rice bowl recipe...

Mexican is closest to Indian food which is why I prefer going out to Chipotle here. I like the Rice bowl over there. Its tasty & healthy too..So I just tried to make this at home...Although it is not exact replica of what the actual recipe is, but I tried my best to make it similar with little changes..It takes some time to prepare but its worth the work....
Flavored chicken combined with rice, corn, salsa, black beans served over assorted toppings..a very healthy, filling & easy to make..Perfect for lunch/ dinner or u can also pack this for your lunch box...:)

So starting with  Cilantro-Lime Rice 

2 teaspoon butter/ olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
1 cup white basmati rice/ brown rice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of ½  Lime
½  tsp pepper

Instructions

In a heavy botton pan , heat  butter over low heat. Add rice & pepper and stir for 2-3mins. Add water and salt, & bring to boil. Add lime juice to it. Now cover, cook in low flame until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, Before serving stir in cilantro.

Other Toppings:

Boneless chicken- 1 lb cut in cubes (marinate with a tblsp curd, roasted garlic powder, black pper, salt, 1 tsp olive oil, dry basil leaves  & Italian seasoning (optional))
2 cups frozen sweet corn (cook corn for 1-2 min in microwave oven or you can stir fry with little bit olive oil)
1 can black beans/ u can soak black beans & pressure cook it till tender with adding salt & water.
green & red peppers sliced 
Romaine lettuce, chopped
grated cheese  as much as you want (mozzarella cheese/ cheddar)
sour cream (optional)

 Heat a little olive oil in a skillet and begin to cook peppers until softened. They should not be too soft they should be crunchy.
Again heat olive oil in pan & add the marinated chicken cubes. stir fry the chicken till they becomes soft & light brown in color. Note: U can also add the canned chicken if u want instead of roasting the chicken cubes.

Ingredients for Fresh tomato salsa

1 cup chopped tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 jalapeno pepper or chili pepper minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
 Salt as per the taste
Mix all ingredients in a bowl & remove excess water.

Guacamole

1 avocado
juice of 1 lime
2 tblsp  cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tblsp diced tomato

Method:

Peel and remove seed from avocado.  Chop into small pieces in a medium sized bowl.  Mash avocado with a potao masher & Add remaining ingredients.
To assemble the bowl, scoop a spoonful of rice into the bowl,  then add black beans, stir fried pepper, corn, salsa, chicken, and top with cheese, sour cream , guacamole and lettuce.  Enjoy your Mexican chipotle style  rice bowl. 

sending this to DISH IN 30 MINUTES~ SOUPS & SALADS hosted by http://www.sarasyummybites.com

Pav Bhaji Rice

Pav Bhaji rice....If U hav leftover rice in your fridge u can try this pav bhaji Rice...

Ingredients:

Left over rice- 2 cups

Chopped veggies- carrot, cabbage, beans, capsicum

green peas- 1/4 cup

red chilli paste- 1tsp

salt as per the taste

pav bhaji masala- 1tblsp

Ginger garlic paste- 1tsp each

cumin seeds- 1 tsp

tomato- 2 chopped

1 large onion chopped

oil- 2tblsp

coriander leaves for garnishing & Lemon juice..

Method:

Take a pan..Heat oil. Splutter cumin seeds..Add chopped onions..saute for a min. or two.. Add Ginger garlic paste..saute for 1-2 min then add chopped tomatoes...mix well & saute till they becomes soft.. Add chopped veggies . Add red chilli paste to it... Saute them till the veggies r 70% done..Then add the pav bhaji masala & the cooked rice to it. Mix well. adjust salt..sprinkle ltl bit water to avoid dryness. cover the rice & let it cook for 2-3 min. more in low flame. then switch off the flame...Add chopped coriander leaves & lemon juice if u want..Ur pav bhaji Rice is now ready to serve...

Coconut rice with garlic flavor

Coconut rice recipe is a south Indian recipe & very simple & easy to make. I had it once in one of my friend's home & it was so delicious  dat I couldn't stop myself asking the recipe.... So  I took the recipe from her & I made it . It came out soo delicious that my husband also loved it. I did a small variation with the rice by adding 2-3 cloves of garlic & redchillies to enhance the flavor of rice..This is a very special kind of rice.I m making this for 3rd time now. Hope u all will like this too.So here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Cooked rice 1 ½  cups
Garlic- 3-4 cloves peeled
Grated coconut -2-3 tblsp
Dry red chillies- 2-3 ( I don’t like much spice so I used less u can add according to your taste)
Refined oil/ coconut oil- 1tblsp (tempering in coconut oil adds agr8 flavour to this rice)
Peanuts- a handful
Curry leaves- a few
Cumin seeds- mustard seeds- ½ tsp each
Hing- a pinch
Salt as per the taste

Method:

Heat a pan. Add 1 tsp oil in to it. Then add garlic & red chillies. Roast it till  they turns to light golden brown colour. Keep them aside.
In the same pan add the grated coconuts & dry roast it. 

Cool them & grind them in to a coarse paste without adding water.
Now take a pan. Add mustard & cumin seeds, hing, curry leaves when they splutter add the peanuts.
 When everythg will b done then add rice to the pan. Add the grinded paste. Adjust salt & Mix well... your rice is ready to serve. Serve hot with ginger chutney/any chutney..

Chicken Dum Biriyani

Ingredients

1 ½  cup uncooked basmati rice

4-5 whole cloves

5-6 whole cardamom pods

2  bay leaves

1 large onion, sliced

1medium size onion chopped to make the chicken

2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

500 gm chicken, cut into pieces

1  cup plain yogurt

Salt as per taste

Oil- 3 tblsp

Chilly powder- ½ tsp

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

garamasala powder,cumin & coriander powder- 1tsp each

1 spring cilantro leaves with stems chopped

Mint leaves chopped 1cup

Rose water 1tsp

Few strands of Saffron soaked in water

1/4 cup ghee

cashews  - ¼ cup

Directions:

Take a Bowl, Add chilli powder, salt, turmuric, garamasala powder,cumin & coriander powder,ginger garlic paste, curd & oil, mix well and add chicken rub the chicken well with this masalas and keep for 3-4 hour.

In a large skillet, in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil,  Add cloves, bay leaf, cardamom and cinnamon stick. fry onion, until onion is soft and golden. Add the marinated chicken. Fry, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes. Add 1 cup of water & Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until chickens are cooked.

Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes. Boil the Rice with salt, water & 1tsp oil .It should be half cooked. Take out the semi-cooked rice.. & keep aside.

Now in a pan add oil then fry the onions. Keep aside. Then fry the cashews & keep aside

Take a large vessel. Apply ghee/ butter. Now spread half of the rice,fried onions,mint leaves, chopped coriander, & then spread the chicken & chicken masala, now spread left over rice, onions, mint, coriander leaves as a 2^nd layer. Add the fried cashews. finally sprinkle the saffron water & rose water ..

Close it with a lid but the steam should not come out for this take a chapati dough and make a thread put an out the dish and close it with the Lid and put some weight on top of the lid to avoid the steam. cook for 15-20 min.

Now switch off the flame & serve the yumm biriyanni with any type of Raita..:)

sendingthis to Royal Feast - Biriyani hoasted by http://www.kaarasaaram.com/

Mix Veg Pullav

Ingredients

2 cups - Basmati Rice

1/2 cup - Peas

1 cup - Cauliflower, cut into florets

1 carrot, peeled and cut into long strips

1 large  potatoe, peeled and cubed

5-6 fresh green beans, cut into long strips

3 tbsp butter/ oil/ Ghee

2 tbsp - Cashewnuts

1 tbsp - Raisins

Salt To Taste

1 Pinch - Turmeric powder

2-3 chopped Garlic cloves

1  sliced large Onions

5 whole cloves, 2 bay leaves,  1” long cinnamon sticks 2, 2-3 black cardamom pods

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

Preparation:

Soak rice for half an hour.

Heat 1 Tbsp of ghee is a pan, fry cashewnuts and raisins. Keep aside.  

Heat the remaining in a thick bottomed vessel , fry the cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and cumin seeds in the hot oil, Add onions  stir for 1-2 min add GG paste, Stir the onion and ginger-garlic paste  and continue cooking until the onions are golden brown.

Add the vegetables and mix well. Then add rice & salt .cook and stir for 2 minutes. Cook until the masala separates from oil and vegetables gets tender . Pour the water over the mixture .

Bring the mixture to a full boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Stir once a while . Cover and cook until the rice is done on slow flame..

 Stir gently before serving. Before serving  add the nuts & raisins and mix well. Serve hot with dahi raita.

Pumpkin Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

1 cup toor dal (Optional)

bay leaf-1 large

2 Chopped onion

2-3 cloves of chopped garlic

50gm pumpkin (wash, peel & cut into small cubes)

4-5 Red chillies

Cumin seeds

Curry leaves

2 Green chillies chopped

Salt

Haldi

Pinch of hing

Peanuts ( handful)

½ tsp red chilly powder

Water

Method:

Soak rice & dal for 15-20 min. Wash rice & toor dal properly.

 Drain all water from rice & dal.

Heat oil in a vessel. Add cumin seeds & pinch of hing & bay leaf.

 Add chopped onions, curry leaves, chopped green chillies & chopped garlic cloves. saute till they turns to golden brown in colour. Add the peanuts. Stir for some time.  Add the pumpkins. Sauté for 2-3 min till they turns to light brownish colour.

Then add rice & daal. Add 3 cups of water ( For every 1 cup of rice add 2 cup of water).Put salt , red chilly powder & haldi. stir well. cover the lid. Let it cook for 15-20 min till done. Remove from heat & serve hot with dahi raita.

Sending this to Zesty Palette Series - Halloween Fiesta : Event Announcement

Carrot Rice

Ingredients:

◦1 cup basmati or long grain rice

◦2 cups water

◦3 tablespoons oil/ melted butter

◦1 teaspoon cumin seeds

◦2 bay leaves

◦1 teaspoon salt or as per your taste

◦2 carrot, chopped

◦1/2  teaspoon black pepper powder

◦1/2 teaspoon garam masala

◦1 tablespoon lemon juice

◦2 tablespoons minced cilantro for garnishing

Method:

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the oil by adding one cumin seed; if seed cracks right away oil is ready.

Add cumin seeds after cumin seeds crack add bay leaves and stir for few seconds. Add the chopped carrots Let them cook for about another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally .

 Next add the rice. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add water and salt, bring to a boil and turn the heat to low. Cover the pan.

Cook about 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Turn off the heat.

Add garam masala and lemon juice. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish the rice dish with cilantro.

■Butter Rice

Ingredients

Rice – 2 cup

Cumin Seeds – 1 Tsp

 Butter – 3 Tbsp

Whole illaichi 2nos

 2-3 cloves

2 bay leaves

Garlic cloves- 3-4 chopped

Black pepper powder- ½ tsp

black raisins– 1 hand ful ( Optional)

 Coriander Leaves  chopped 1tblsp (optional)

 Salt – to taste

Method

Heat butter in a large vessel. Add whole spices & cumin seeds. Add black raisins & chopped garlic cloves. stir for some time. Add rice & stir for 4-5 min. Add black pepper powder & salt. Add 4 cups of water , cover the lid & let it cook till done. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Tasty butter rice are ready. serve hot using your desired curry.

sending this to the Rice event CWS - Rice hoasted by Kaarasaaram

Rice pongal

Ingredients

 Rice  1 cup

Yellow Moong Dal  ½ cup

Hing a pinchtsp

Cummin Seeds- 1 tsp

Black pepper- 5-6

Cashew nuts-8-10

 Ginger- 1 inch piece grated

Haldi powder- 1/2 tsp

Desi Ghee- 2-3 tbsp

Curry Leaves

Salt- to taste

Method

In a kadai dry roast cummin seeds and pepper for 2 minutes and powder coarsely. 

Heat Kadai. Roast moong dal till they turn to light brownish colour.

In a Cooker add rice ,dal ,salt & water & Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Add  ghee in the kadai and fry the cashew nuts till they turn light brown.

Add hing, grated ginger, curry leaves ,powdered cummin  seeds & pepper , haldi and saute for a minute. Mix  properly the cooked rice with the prepared ingredients. Serve hot.

sending this recipe to  Rice Varieties  from http://myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com/

Masala Bhat (Maharastrian Style)

Ingredients

250 gms. Rice (basmati) (washed and dried on cloth)

4 tsps. Desi Ghee,

2 onions chopped

1/2 cup peas boiled or You can add sweet corns

1 carrot  cut length wise

1 cup grated cabbage

1 stalk curry leaves

2tsp gingergarlic paste

2 green chillies chopped

1 tbsp. broken cashews

1tsp red chilly Powder

A pinch of hing

1 tbsp. raisins

1 tbsp. peanuts

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

salt to taste

1 tsp. lemon juice

Chopped coriander leaves

Dry Masala:

2 tsps. Coriander Seeds

1 tsp. Sesame Seeds

1 piece Cinnamon (small)

4 nos. Cloves,

1 Badi Elaichi

Roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds,badi elaichi, cinnamon and cloves (without oil) and grind them to a fine powder. Your Dry masala is now ready.

Method

Wash and soak basmati rice for half an hour.

Heat ghee in a heavy large skillet. Season with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they crackle, add curry leaves, asafoetida and green chili.

Add cashews, peanuts & raisins  fry till light brown. Add onion, stir for 1-2 min till the onions turns to golden brown in colour.

Then Add ginger, garlic paste & stir till the raw smell goes away. Add all the  vegetables & red chilly powder & grinded dry masalas stir for some time.Then add rice & salt. Stir 2-3 minutes. Add water, Water should be double the volume of rice. Bring to a boil and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, till almost done add more water if required. All water should evaporate when the grain is cooked. You can add Lemon juice to tastes good.Switch off the flame. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves & Mix well.

Serve hot with  curd raitha or a spicy curry.

sending this recipe to  Rice Varieties  from http://myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com/

sending this to the Rice event CWS - Rice hoasted by Kaarasaaram

Capicum & sweetcorn pullao

Ingredients:

2 Cup Rice

1 cup of chopped capcicum & sweet corns

4 cloves

1-2 red chillies

½ tsp Black pepper powder

1-2 bay leaves

1” longDalchini stick

Cumin seeds

2 Onions ( sliced)

5-6 Garlic cloves  Chopped

3-4 tsp Oil/ Ghee

Fried cashews & Raisins ½ cup

1-2 tsp of Chopped coriander leaves

Salt

water

Method:

Wash the rice properly & drain all the water. Keep it for half an hour.

Heat Ghee in a Handi. Add bayleaves , whole dalchini, illaichi, cloves, redchillies & cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds starts crackling. Add onions & chopped garlic cloves & black pepper powder.

Then add capcicum & sweet corn. Fry for some time. Then add  the soaked rice.Stir continuously for 4-5 min. Then add water ( every 1 cup rice add 2 cups of water) .Add salt.Let the rice to cook for another 4-5 min.Keep checking the rice in between so that its not overcooked.Switch off the flame. Add fried raisins & cashews. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.Serve Hot with any type of raita.

sending this recipe to  Rice Varieties  from http://myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com/

Veg Biriyani

ThisVegetable Biryani recipe is a rice recipe that is cooked on special occasions such as festivals, parties, celebrations.This Recipe is veryyyy delicious.This Recipe post was amongst one of the few recipes that I wanted to post from a long time. One of my favorite food is the biryani. My mom makes the best biryanis and I have seen her many times cooking biryani with a lot of love and care. This Vegetable Biryani Recipe is one of the best biryani I have made so far .It is a rich dish as it uses dry fruits, spices, herbs and yogurt. The vegetables include capsicum, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, green peas. The rice grains were fluffy, cooked well and separate.In fact, it came out so well and tasted lip smackingly yum……. All I can say is that each bite of this vegetable biryani recipe was heavenly.

I must say….There should be no hurry ……and cooking a biryani takes up some time.

So friends with out much ado lets start the recipe & I hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as I enjoyed.

Here goes the preparation method of this classic Indian Vegetable biriyani dish.....

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice   2 cups

 Mixed vegetable(cauliflower, potato, carrot, french beans, mushrooms)  1 cup

 Green peas 150 grams

soybean badi (boiled)1 cup

Thinly sliced onion 3

Ginger Garlic Paste- 3tsp

Thin sliced green chillies 2

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder   1 tsp.

Cinnamon, Caraway seeds 2 tsp.

Cloves

cardamom  1

Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp.

Tomato 3 sliced

Yogurt (curd) 1/2 cup

Mint leaves 1 bunch

 Oil 4 tbsp.

Sahi Jeera-   1/2 tsp.

 Dry fruits (cashew nuts,alomds) 3 tbsp.

Safron soaked in ½ cup of milk.

Fried Onions- 1 small cup

Chopped coriander leaves

    

Method:

 Wash rice well & soak for atleast 1 hour before cooking. In the boil water  add little bit oil & then The soaked rice & let it cook for 3-4 min. Rice to be cooked only 70%-80%.

 Cut all the vegetables into small thin pieces and Heat oil in a kadai & fry each one of it separately tll 70% done. Also fry the green peas & soybean badi.

 In a vessel  spluter sahi jeera .Then addgreen chilli, cinnamon , Cardamom and caraway seeds powder, cloves, black pepper powder for about half minute and then add onions. Fry till the color of onion changes to pink. Add Ginger garlic paste & sauté till oil separates from masala.

 Add salt and red chilli powder and stir it properly. Make a fine paste of mint leaves & add it with yogurt . It will give a nice smell.

Add fine chopped tomatoes and fry till they are properly cooked.

 Next add yogurt & mint leaves mixture and stir well for about 10 seconds.

 Now add Half of the rice & half of  the fried vegetables, Cashews & almonds.Sprinkle some fries onion.Make sure the flame should be low. Then put rest of rice. Then add the left over vegetables on top. Add the fried onions again.Add chopped coriander & Mint leaves.Add saffron and mix well with very light hands so that the rice grain doesn't break. Cook for about 3 minutes.

Serve Hot with any kind of Raita....